Ok folks. Here's where the GM tells you to post your character concepts, etc.

Everyone will be starting as "entry level" employees.

We'll be using the Spycraft system for rules. I'm new to the system, as I'm sure you are too. If you've played the d20 system, most of it is pretty much the same, except there are a few subtle changes and additions to gameplay.

Here's the URL for the rules.

http://www.seriesarcher.com/spycraft_lite.zip

If you have trouble downloading it, I can mail you the unzipped .pdf file.

Consider me signed up. I'll post a character sheet once I have one done.



Gatac

Cool.

Just to let everyone know, ADS will be playing a "Home Office" agent eventually multi-classing into "Face Man" or "Wheel Man".

Think of him as Sean Connery's character in "Entrapment" with a bit of classic Bond thrown in for good measure. Quintessential rogue.

I've got some basics pinned. I'll play a young female (Jessica Spiner, maybe I'll find a better name later) from the Power Brokerage and will probably mix Faceman and Pointman.

Dieter, is the Player's manual online anywhere ? I'm getting my ass handed to me 'cause I've never played D20 before and don't know the basics of abilities, skills and feats.

Gatac

Well, as a matter of fact there is an SRD (System Reference Guide) for the d20. Since it was primarily written for D&D, it won't have anything dealing with Spycraft, but it might give you a good general overview.

http://www.opengamingfoundation.org/srd.html

That's all nice and stuff, but it doesn't explain how the stats are actually rolled. Dang.

Gatac

Ah ha...

Roll 4d6 six times. After each roll drop the lowest, then add them together. That is your attribute number.

Ex:

Roll a d6 four times.

4, 2, 6, 1.

Drop the 1, then add the other 3 together. That's a 12, pretty good, above average.

(Edited by Dieter at 2:15 pm on Mar. 12, 2002)

Where are the basic skill costs ? Or ist it always one per level ?

Oh my, if we were face to face, we'd be over all this in five minutes...

Gatac

Well, here's the thing. The Player's Handbook isn't even out yet, hence the title Spycraft Lite. Going by what it says and my experience with D&D 3e, here's a crash-course in skill development.

Starting on page 7, you'll find the classes. Under each class they tell you how many skill points you start off with (usually [8+INT modifier x 4]).

Say you're a smarty-pants with an 18 in INT, that gives you a +4 modifier. So you'd start out with with 48 (12x4) skill points. That's a helluva lot of skill points, considering most people will probably be only getting 36-40 at best.

Under skill points, you'll see Class Skills. Those are your skills that only cost 1 point per rank. Your maximum rank is three plus your current level, so starting out your max rank would be four in any skill.

Skills that aren't listed in your "class skills" can still be bought, but at 2 points per rank instead of 1.




(Edited by Dieter at 3:17 pm on Mar. 12, 2002)

Ah, thanks. I had the skill points figured, but the costs are new to me. Well, I'll have to see what fits now.

(And she's got a measly 24 skill points, so don't expect Superwoman. Though with the Power Dep bonues, she reaches 17 charisma...)

Gatac

Cool, the femme fatale. Does she also kill men with her thighs during the throws of passion?

24 isn't too bad, it just means that she's not the one figuring out the 10 number combination on the high-tech wall safe. Keep her far away from the nuclear devices.

She'll be the one who'll do the negotiating when the heavily armed security guards arrive.

My thoughts exactly. It's quite hard figuring out all that stuff for me, but I think I'll manage now.

I'm modelling her into a pure support character, by the way, in which to dump all the more obscure stuff normal people don't bother with.

Namely, Cultural, Diplomacy, First Aid (and knowing you guys, I'm the only one who took that - gah, only Level 2, boys !),Languages and Lipreading...plus Disguise, Information Gathering and Innuendo.

Also, she's got the Safe House feat, just so nobody of you had to take it

Gatac

Cool.

So do you have a background yet for Ms.Spiner? Nationality? Upbringing? Etc.?

As for a safehouse, I was thinking about a rich old uncle who just happens to be an international real estate developer.

Well, she's an all-american girl who just about happens to be from a quite rich family. Due to her wealthy parents, she has travelled around the world already, and is always friendly and curteous, plus a natural linguist. She's also barely 19, and as such one of the youngest agents ever recruited.

Gatac

Indeed. We shall keep her far away from agent 007, he has a terrible tendancy to corrupt young, nubile females.

Having travelled the world, she has befriended many people who will gladly give safe-harbor to Jessica and her cohorts.

Heh...heh, this leads to any number of essentric NPC's.

Uh, Dieter, there's one last thing I can't figure out on the sheet. How do you calculate the attack boni for unarmed, melee and ranged ?

And who else is working in despair in getting their sheets ready ?

Gatac

Hmmm, I'll have to check on the attack boni thing.

As for other people, I know ADS wants to play and I'm hoping others (Punkey, Qwentle, etc.) will want to join us. I'll give everyone until Friday and then we'll officially start next week.

On top of that one, tell me how to calculate feats and I'm done with my sheet. I hope.

Gatac

Ok, new characters start out with 1 feat. If this holds true to the "d20" style, you'll get additional feats about every other level. This makes me wish the PHB was out already, but we'll have to wait for at least a few more weeks. Maybe they'll have it at the gaming store in NYC when I'm there next week.

Anywho....as for attack bonuses, they will be based on your attribute boni (STR=melee, DEX=ranged) plus any modifiers you get from your chosen feat.

18 Dex (+4) + point-blank shot feat (+1) + 10ga. shotgun (5d4 dmg) = Big sprays of blood and assorted body parts!

Ah ha....as for feats, try this page. Scroll down to the bottom to find your respective class outlines.


http://www.seriesarcher.com/resources/